The vast majority of our teams are having a terrific season but I think everyone will benefit from this note. Last weekend was a peak in the number of serious issues and ejections we had across FCYBL. Not a great statistic. We can do better.

I won't recount the details - but in almost every case extremely poor behavior was exhibited by adults. The FCYBL sportsmanship chairman collects information on these events to develop interventions and mete out justice - typically in the form of game suspensions. The FCYBL executive committee reviews and approves all of these actions. Gordon Austin (Commissioner) and I approved every one of these findings.

Moving forward, please help FCYBL and your children by modeling the following behaviors:

Refrain from commenting, shouting, or speaking to the officials during a game. Coaches may approach officials during breaks in action - but be mindful of game flow - and always use good manners.

Cheer in a positive fashion FOR your team. Not AGAINST the competition.

If you find yourself on the winning end of a blow-out game, work on your craft and improve your weaknesses. Avoid running up scores (drop your "go-to" plays, slow the pace, stop pressing, stop fast breaking, etc.)

If you find yourself on the losing end of a blow-out game, work on your craft and praise anything that works (even a good box-out). Stick to it, get better, and never give up.

When adversity strikes (e.g. a "bad" call), demonstrate your ability to move on to the next play and leave the past behind.

Let me expand on this last point. Many of the adults now serving game suspensions actually defended their poor behavior by recounting the terrible events that led up to their outbursts. Our Moms always taught us - two wrongs do not make a right. I will add that pressure does not build character, it reveals it. I think one of the greatest lessons we can teach children in competition is how to overcome adversity. Please make that a core belief - and help our kids develop strong character. We are only hurting them when we model bad behaviors.

by
posted 03/15/2012
Picture yourself in this situation: You are coaching your team in a Division I championship game that ends in a tie. In overtime, it is a close game, but your team is down two points. A jump ball is called with eight seconds to go.

The officials are split on who takes possession. The scorekeeper and the clock keeper are also split ... no one can say who's possesion it is ... and the game and possibly the championship will be determined in the next 8 seconds. But you know the next possesion is not yours. What would you do?

The coach down by two points is Ray Cicale. His McLean 6th grade team won the tip to start the overtime. Ray approaches the officials and informs them that he won the tip and there have been no jump balls in overtime. Ray tells them that it is Reston's ball. Reston in-bounds and wins the game.

Our former Chairman, EJ Thomas, witnessed this remarkable ending as he prepared to award the championship and runner-up trophies. Reston won the championship and McLean took runner-up. Everyone in the gym went home with an inspiring demonstration of true sportsmanship.

Ray Cicale is that kind of guy - no surprise there. He models the behavior we want to instill in all of our players, coaches, parents, and representatives. Bravo Ray.

Coaches -

As we enter the end of the season, please prepare for the All League, MV Player, and MV Coach nominations and voting. This is an important task we ask you to undertake with care, and on-time. We have two small windows of time. One for you to nominate your players, a second to vote on the nominations. Please be prompt. Every year we learn of a deserving player who may be one of the best, that could not be selected because the coach did not nominate anyone. Please don't be that coach - nominate your players.

INSTRUCTIONS

Nominations: February 10-13th.

Be prepared when you go online; you can only go online once to nominate.

Use the password you used to create your team roster in November. If you have lost that password, contact your club representative.

Although players' numbers will be displayed when you select from your team roster to nominate, you MUST put the players' numbers in the area where they put stats and other information about why they are nominating the player. Many oppopsong coaches only know the player by number.

If there is more than one team from the same club in that division, the coach MUST say which team the players being nominated play for. i.e. Vienna (Joost)

You can nominate from 1-5 players for All League and MVP, and can nominate 1 or 2 coaches for MVC.

Voting: February 16-19th

You must go back online a 2nd time to vote

The system will not allow the coach to vote for any players off the team he/she coaches.

The top vote getter in each division will be the MVP and the next 10 players will be all league.

The top vote getter among the coaches in each division will be MVC.

Nomination Details:
*The nomination form shows a list of players that are on the coach's team.
*The nomination form shows a list of coaches that are in the same Age Group and Division as the coach's team.
*The form currently goes to a splash page and will automatically open at 12:01am on Feb. 10th and will automatically close at 12:01am on Feb. 14th.

Voting Details:
*The voting form will not allow a coach to vote for a player from his own team.
*The voting form will not allow a coach to vote for themselves.
*The form currently goes to a splash page and will automatically open at 12:01am on Feb. 16th and will automatically close at 12:01am on Feb. 20th.

On April 6, 2011, the FCYBL Council approved two changes to the FCYBL Rules:

Change to Grade-Based Teams
By a vote of 13-4, the Council changed the rules for team formation to a grade-based system from an age-based system.

Starting with the 2011-2012 season, teams will be formed based on the grades that players are in for such season; there are very limited age restrictions, but generally teams will be formed based on what grade the player is in for that season.

This replaces the old age-based team formation rules whereby a player was eligible for a team based upon his/her age on September 30 of each year, with each team being allowed two "grade exceptions."

6th Grade Boys to Use 28.5 Inch Basketball
In a unanimous 17-0 vote, starting with the 2011-2012 season, 6th grade boys will use a 28.5 inch basketball for league play. The 28.5 inch basketball has been used in 5th grade FCYBL boys' play for quite a while. The 29.5 inch regulation men's basketball will be used for boys' Grades 7 and 8 league action.

Girls will continue to use the 28.5 inch basketball in all grades for FCYBL play.